Metropix FAQs

A great reference point for our most common questions and tips. If you can’t find what you are looking for then check out our training materials for extra information or contact us.

Can more than one person in the office draw a plan at the same time?

Certainly. The Metropix system allows multiple users to access and use the same account simultaneously.

Can I draw plans if I'm not connected to the internet?

Yes. First you need to download Metropix to your computer (you will need to be online to do this). From the drawing page select 'Options' and 'Install Metropix on my computer' - select the location for shortcut buttons and within a few seconds the system will be loaded for you. When you access Metropix offline you'll go straight to the drawing page. When you've finished drawing select 'File' and 'Save' to save your plan. Then when next online selection 'File' and 'Open from disk - then process in the usual way.

Can I change the size of the drawing grid if my plan is too big for the page?

Yes. Open the 'Options' menu and select 'Zoom'. You can choose to view the plan in Wide View or use the 'Custom' slider to manually zoom in our out.

How do I move a wall to resize a room?

Use our simple 'drag-and-drop' method to move or reposition walls Position your mouse pointer on the wall you wish to move (the relevant wall, or section of the wall will change from black to red) then click and hold down the left mouse button and 'Drag' the wall in the required direction. 'Drop' into position by releasing the mouse button. You can move walls (and other items like doors, too) more accurately, inch by inch (or cm by cm) using the arrow keys on your keyboard while continuing to hold down the left mouse button.

Can I type in wall dimensions manually?

You can enter measurements manually on the drawing plan page to make rooms the exact size you want without 'dragging'. Go to the 'Options' menu and click 'Set wall length', click on the wall you wish to set and enter the relevant measurement on the pop-up window. NB - doing this will obviously affect the shape/size of that room AND adjacent rooms.

How do I delete a wall?

Select the 'Opening' icon from the Symbols Tab on the left of your screen. Drag and drop the 'opening' onto the wall that you want to delete, then increase the opening width by clicking the blue dot in the middle of the icon and extending the 'opening width' to its maximum. Depending upon your Preference Settings, the 'opening' may appear as a light grey line on your finished floor plan. If you do not want the line to appear, click 'My Account' then 'Change Preferences' and select 'Floor Plan Appearance' from the drop-down menu. At the bottom of the page you can set the 'Opening Style' to show 'No Line' by selecting this option from the drop-down menu. Don't forget to 'Save Changes'. You will then need to open and re-process existing plans in order for new settings to take effect - all future plans will reflect the changes automatically.

How do I make a 'break' in a wall?

Position your mouse onto the wall where you wish to insert the break and double-click - a new white square will appear on the wall indicating the break.

How do I make L-shaped rooms?

Simply by splitting the relevant wall into two sections and dragging one section to a new position, as follows:- Insert a break in the wall (as described above) at the position the 'L' extends. Highlight the section of the wall to extend and drag to its new position.

How do I make angled walls?

Simply by dragging 'angle' marker (indicated by a white box where the two walls meet). By using combination of inserting breaks in the wall (see 'How do I make a 'break' in a wall) and moving the relevant 'angles' you can create a room of any shape.

How do I make a bay window?

Simply by making two 'breaks' in the wall (see 'How do I make a 'break' in a wall) then dragging the centre section (bay) to its new position. You can 'angle' the bay by dragging the angle markers (see How do I make angled walls?) as required. You can now drag and drop a window onto each section of the bay.

How do I draw curved walls?

From the 'Edit' menu select 'Draw Curved Wall' - then place the mouse pointer at the position on the wall that the curve begin, click and hold down the left mouse button and 'draw' the curve, releasing the mouse button on the position on the wall that the curve ends. To delete the curve, simply right click on the curve and select 'Delete'.

How do I make a bow window?

To make a bow window follow the instructions for 'How do I draw curved walls?' and then drag and drop the window/windows onto position on the curve. You can now drag and drop a window onto your curve - see 'How do I change the opening width of my doors and windows?' to alter the width of your window. To delete the curve, simply double-click your left mouse button on this section of wall and click delete.

How do I add a garden?

You can add a garden (or any external area e.g. courtyard, balcony etc. that is NOT to be included in the square footage) simply by adding the area as a room and giving it room type 'Balcony' then amending the room name in the Room Description box. (For longer/larger gardens one option is to create a shorter/smaller area and then type into the description box 'Garden extends to 100' (for example) - then tick the option 'No Measurements' when completing the plan. These areas will appear with cross-hatching on your finished 2D plan or as a grey area on a 3D plan if ordered. There are also outdoor symbols that you can use such as garden furniture including a bench, parasol, plants and swimming pools.

How do I delete a room?

Either go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Delete Room/Cupboard', or click on to the 'Delete' key on your keyboard, then simply click on the room you want to delete.

How do I change/edit a room name?

Go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Edit Room/Cupboard' then click onto the room you wish to change to open up the 'Edit Room' popup box where you can amend both room type and the room description. NB. to type in a description NOT on the list, simply click your mouse cursor into the description box and type in the relevant name/wording.

How do I add feature icons onto my plan?

Select the icon you need from the Symbols tab on the left of your page (choose from Basic, Advanced or All Symbols). Click and hold the left mouse button over the required icon, 'Drag' it onto the floor plan and then 'Drop' it into position by releasing the mouse button.To delete a symbol simply click on the blue dot to display its properties and click Delete.

How do I move icons to a new position?

'Grab' the icon by clicking and holding your mouse pointer onto its unique blue dot, 'drag' the icon to its new position and then 'Drop' it into place by releasing the mouse button. NB. Many symbols 'magnetise' to the wall by default. To move the icon away from the wall, open its properties menu by clicking once onto the blue dot, then un-tick the 'Stick to Walls' button and 'Close'.

How do I re-size an icon?

Click onto the icon's blue dot which will open its properties menu AND activate its 'control handles' (the blue squares and arrows that appear around the icon). Then, either type the new dimensions into the properties field, 'drag' the slider to increase/decrease dimensions or 'drag' the square control handles left/right/up or down to the get desired shape/size.

How do I rotate a symbol?

Click onto the icon's blue dot which will open its properties menu AND activate its 'control handles' (the blue squares and arrows that appear around the icon). Click, hold and drag on the control arrows to rotate the icon clockwise or anticlockwise.

How do I duplicate an icon?

Once you have inserted an icon onto your plan, it can be duplicated by holding down the 'Ctrl' key on your keyboard while 'dragging' the icon by its blue dot (as if moving to a different location). This is a handy short-cut if you have multiple features, e.g. windows, of identical size.

How do I change icon properties, e.g. door swing, window size etc?

Click once onto the icon's blue dot to open its individual properties menu. Choose from the given drop-down menus / radio button choices to make the required change and/or type in the new measurement or drag the indicator left or right to the desired size.

Is there a way to rotate a plan or obtain a mirror image of a plan?

You can do both via the Edit menu.

How do I put 'features' into a kitchen?

Use the Base Unit icon to build the kitchen units. Here are some tips: You can change the size of a unit by clicking on its blue dot -it's not necessary to drag multiple units onto the plan. Make neat corner units by dragging two base units so that they overlap each other in the corner. To make units with rounded or curved ends just right click on the blue dot then select from the drop-down boxes which type of end you would like. If you need to make an island unit, click on the blue dot and un-tick the 'Sticks to walls' box. Then you will be able to move the units away from the wall. Don't leave a gap between kitchen units for sinks and hobs unless the sink/hob is freestanding. Just drop the sink/hob on top of the base unit.

How do I add cupboards?

Either by adding a 'room' into the position where your cupboard is to be and selecting room type 'Storage' (you can then choose the relevant name for the area, i.e. Cupboard, Airing Cupboard, Wardrobe etc). Alternatively go to the Edit Menu and select 'Add Cupboard' and 'draw' your cupboard in just as you would a room. This option will automatically assign the name 'Cupboard' which you can change if necessary (see How do I change room names?) Don't forget to drag and drop some doors onto your cupboard by using the door icon options you have available.

Can I add furniture to my floor plan?

There are a whole host of furniture symbols that can be added to your floor plan. Simply select 'All Symbols' and 'Furniture' then drag the relevant item onto your plan in the same way as you do icons. (See 'How do I add feature icons onto my plan'). Furniture icons can be moved, repositioned, resized etc. as with feature icons.NB. Where the plan is to be upgraded to 3D - furniture icons from the 'Visible in 3D' list should be used to ensure that they are visible in exactly the same place on the 3D.

How do I add another floor?

The system assumes you will start drawing from the ground floor and progress upwards. This can, of course, be overridden. Once you have finished drawing the floor you choose to start with, click the 'Floors' tab on the left hand side. A new floor will be added named '1st floor', the floors tab will open up and the grid will show the outline of the 'Ground' floor to help you to line up external/internal walls as required.From the 'Floors' tab you can 'Add floor above' or 'Add floor below' for any subsequent floors, as well as deleting, renaming or repositioning floors.

How do I make stairs?

Once you have drawn two + floors, press the ‘Add stairs’ button and select the floors that the stairs run to and from, then click ‘next’. Select the direction that the stairs are moving as they go up to the floor above. Click ‘next’ and you can then place the step by left clicking. Next, select the direction the stairs are moving as you come down from the upper floor. Again, click ‘next’ and left click to confirm the position. With a start and end step placed, the wizard will complete the path of the stairs for you. It's important that the corresponding steps are aligned and positioned correctly, just like they appear in real form. For more options (width, rotating, amending), you can click the blue dot on the stairs.

How do I add a spiral staircase?

Click the 'Add Stairs' button at the bottom of the drawing grid and confirm which floors the stairs run between, then tick the box on the bottom of the page 'Tick the box if this is a spiral staircase' and click 'Next'. Click the spiral icon into position and then 'Finish'. Amendments can be made to step width, position of the first step and stair direction by clicking onto the blue dot to open the stairs' properties menu.

How do I add Split Level stairs?

Go to the 'Edit' Menu and select 'Add Split Level Stairs'. The Stair Wizard will then take you through the procedure. NB. You can only use this method once on any given floor. To add multiple split level stair cases you will need to use the 'Add stair manually' option from the 'Edit' menu. Each step you add to the plan is exactly the same so you will need to set the properties of both the top and bottom step by clicking on the blue dot in the middle of each step then selecting whether it is an up or down step and ticking the box that says 'stairs start and end on this floor' (this needs to be done for both steps). You can then use the rotation arrows to orientate each step.

Can I make changes to an existing plan?

Yes. From the 'My Plans' page, open the plan to be amended by clicking the 'View' button and then the 'Open/Edit' button. The plan will open onto the drawing page where you can make the necessary amendments. NB. The existing plan will not be replaced - a new floor plan will be created with a new reference number. The 'newest' plan will always be the one higher up the list with the higher reference number.

How do I save the finished plans onto my computer?

From the 'My Plans' page, click the 'View' button relating to the plan you wish to download, then select the required option - 'Download for Print', 'Down for Web' or one of the alternative download options shown below these buttons. Select the 'Save' button on the pop-up window to select the folder you wish to save the plans to - click 'Save'. Your floor plan can then be used as with any other image.

Metropix is fully compatible with any system that uses standard industry formats and it is fully integrated with most major property management software.

Can I tweak my plans with branding and customisation?

There are multiple ways to customize and 'brand' plans by changing settings in 'My Account' and 'Change Preferences'. Changes to settings only affect plans drawn after the new settings have been applied. To amend existing plans, simply open them and re 'Plan Complete'.

How do I change the external wall thickness?

To change the default thickness of your walls select 'Floor Plan Appearance' from the drop down menu in 'Change Preferences' then amend the percentage for 'External Wall Thickness'. (Don't forget to Save Changes). You can override this setting for individual plans while in the drawing grid by going to the Options menu and sliding the rule up or down until walls are the required thickness.)

Can I download my floor plans in a different format (i.e. JPEG)?

Yes. Metropix plans can be downloaded in a number of industry-standard formats. To change the default settings click 'My Account', 'Change Preferences' and select ''Formats' from the drop-down menu. From here, simply use the drop-down menu to set your preferred format. (Don't forget to Save Changes)NOTE: In addition to the options provided on the Format Settings page (as above) you can also choose to download plans as WMF. EMF or Word files from the 'View Plan' page.

How do I change the layout of my finished floor plan?

Select 'Floor plan appearance' from the drop-down menu in preferences, scroll down to 'Layout of Floors' and select your preferred layout from the drop-down menu. (Don't forget to 'Save Changes'). Your preferred default setting can be over-ruled for individual plans by selecting the 'Floor Layout Options' button during the 'Plan Complete' process.

How can I change the text display on my floor plans?

By going to 'My Account', 'Change Preferences' and selecting 'Font Settings' from the drop down list, you'll be able to customise the text displayed in the rooms as well as other text on the floor plan. Don't forget to 'Save Changes'.

Can I include my company logo on my floor plans?

Yes. Simply Select 'Watermarks' from the drop-down menu in preferences. Upload your logo by clicking the 'Browse' button and selecting the required image - then click the 'Upload' button and save the changes.

Can I choose my own colours for my colour floor plans?

A. Yes, you can create a bespoke template for your colour plans in the 'My Account', 'Change Preferences' screen. Select 'Colour Floor Plans' from the drop-down list and assign the desired colour for each feature. You can choose your colours from the palette or ask your graphic designer for codes to match your company's colour scheme.

How do I change the disclaimer on my finished plan?

Select 'Floor Plan Appearance' from the drop-down menu in preferences, scroll down to 'Disclaimer Style' and select your preference from the drop-down menu. You can also add additional text to individual plans through the 'Public Property Description' field on the Property Details page which is automatically opened when you 'Plan Complete'.

How do I upgrade my classic plan to PicturePlus (interactive)?

Upgrading a plan to PicturePlus couldn't be simpler and takes only seconds, follow the instructions below ... Click onto Free Upgrades from the plan's 'view' page. Select the PicturePlus option by clicking anywhere on the rectangular button. Upload your photographs one by one (including external photos) then click 'Next' Following the intuitive instructions, as the photo appears choose its 'location' from the drop-down list then position the the camera icon into the appropriate room and click Continue this action until all the photographs are positioned and then click 'Next' Once you've confirmed your order, return to 'My Plans' to open your PicturePlus plan from the 'Link for your website' field.

How long do upgrades take to process?

Colour and PicturePlus plans will be available and ready to use within seconds. 3D Floor Plans are usually processed within a few hours.

Are 3D Floor Plans available in different formats?

Yes, if you have a specific requirement it's a good idea to set up your preferences before ordering a 3D plan by oing to 'My account' - 'Change preferences' and selecting '3D Floor Plans' from the drop-down menu. From here you can change the file format that you require as well as specify the layout and disclaimer style. Other options include whether or not you would like your finished 3D Floor Plan to be furnished or unfurnished, decorated or undecorated. If you require an extra high resolution file for printing purposes, simply click the relevant tick box. Don't forget to 'Save changes'.

My system froze or crashed before I had a chance to save my floor plan, will it be lost?

Don't worry! Our system will have made a copy of your plan. You should find your 'saved' plan in 'Unfinished Plans' where you can open it to complete. If not, when you return to the drawing window a message will be displayed advising that a plan has been saved by the system and asking whether you want to restore the drawing - you must choose to restore it at this point or it will be deleted.

I got an error message when saving my floor plan - have I lost it for good?

In the first instance, check that you are downloading plans in the correct file type for your property management software. Also consider the layout of the floors in relation to the shape/size of your document/website template. Where resolution is still a problem we can customise the pixel size of your plans to meet the exact height specifications required by your property management software. Please contact the Support Team for guidance.

AutoDraw tips

Print cover sheets in high quality to ensure the barcode can be read properly by our system Send only one property per fax transmission and make sure the cover sheet is the first page of the transmission Write specific instructions such as 'Don't show measurements' clearly onto the page Simple, hand-drawn sketches are preferable to architect plans Where you have an existing architect plan which you want to use to save time, please simplify it as much as possible - using a pen to add definition if necessary. Remove unnecessary pages such as external elevations. After faxing your sketch you should see the message 'Processing' against the reference in 'My Plans'. If after faxing the message still says 'Awaiting your fax', it means the fax has not been recognized by our system - please call the Support Team for guidance.